


what time leaves behind

by Quecksilver_Eyes



Series: We're not meant to be alone [5]
Category: The Old Guard (Movie 2020)
Genre: F/F, Poetry, Temporary Character Death, and canonical character death, and she cannot remember her loves, andy is old and tired, anymore, the world moves and moves and moves on
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-15
Updated: 2020-08-15
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:07:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 319
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25914112
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Quecksilver_Eyes/pseuds/Quecksilver_Eyes
Summary: Time carves her tongue | from the cavity of her chest | and replaces it with new ones; | until she can barely recognise the sound of her own voice.
Relationships: Andy | Andromache of Scythia/Quynh | Noriko
Series: We're not meant to be alone [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1906879
Comments: 16
Kudos: 74





	what time leaves behind

_It’s not what Time takes. It’s what it leaves behind._

Andromache dies  
and comes back  
with her own blood  
in her lungs

Time carves her tongue  
from the cavity of her chest  
and replaces it with new ones;  
until she can barely recognise the sound of her own voice.

Andromache dies  
and comes back  
with a sword still  
buried deep in her heart

Time takes her mother’s face  
from her trembling hands;  
the lullabies and the way she smells  
under these dying constellations

Andromache dies  
and the stars have realigned  
and shifted –  
died.

Time digs graves for her people  
under peonies and grass to her hips;  
it rusts all their weapons and their jewellery  
– and their gods, too

Andromache dies  
and wakes with steel in her throat;  
her words all garbled  
her world all salt-drowned

Time keeps going  
without Lykon.  
Time keeps going  
without Quynh.

Andromache drowns  
and comes back with water still sloshing in her lungs  
with empty hands  
and her throat bloody with screams.

Time takes the myths of her childhood  
and leaves them in shreds;  
fragmented.  
behind glass and contextless

Andromache drowns  
and wakes up to Yusuf’s prayer  
Sebastien’s drinking  
Nicolo’s quiet voice  
\- and Andromache is drowning, still.

Time takes Lykon’s face  
first.  
(remind me, Andromache: what was the shade of his skin  
what was the sound of his laughter?  
what was the colour of his eyes?  
how did his blood feel on your hands?)

Andromache dies  
and wakes up with a bottle in her hands  
and salt on her cheeks;  
her chest hollowed out  
and full of water.

_– tell me, Andromache of Scythia, what was the language of your childhood? what were your gods? how many sisters did you have? how did you feel curled into your mother’s arms? what did the sky look like? what of the animals, what of your people? how did it feel to kiss your love? do you remember still?_


End file.
